Machine for treating blankets or fabrics



Patented Oct. 14, 1924ia UNITED srA'rEs EDWARD J. MCCREARY, OF COHO-ES,`. YORK.

`iuaciiilvit non TREATING eLaNknrs on FABRICS.

Application nieu september 26, 1923. Serin No. 664,959.

To @ZZ 'whom ,it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD MGGREARY, a citizen of the United States, residing jat Colroe's, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines 'for Treating Blankets vor Fabrics, of which the following is 'a specification.

'This invention relates to brushing machinos for `treatimg' blankets and all classes of knitted V'clothing 'or fabrics.

The primary lobject l'of the invention is to provid-e 4comparatively simple and effective means adapted to `be readily lcontrolled or adjusted to lproduce a combing as well asA napping aetio'n relatively' to the `blanket or y fabric treated thereby, the nap of the blanket or fabric being raised as the latter passes between a part of the mechanism and combed 'out by being held in close engagement with and moving around past'the said mechanism, 'and at the same time the blanket or fabric treated is guided to a means for carrying' the same away from the improved mechanism. Y

The invention consists essentially oi a novel arrangement of 'feed rolls and cylindricai brushing cylinder with which a suite ableautomatically yieldable pressure bar ycooperates to maintain 'uniform pressure of the blanket or fabric relatively to the brushing cylinder, to accommodate various thicknesses of blankets and fabrics as well'as grades of fabric and to further subject 'the blanket or vfabric t'o the action of a guide roll to assist the cyliiidjer'in its function, and also to combine withthe parts just specified a novel form 'of spiral cast-'off roll having yielding spiral blades, lwhich operate to continually sweep the surface of the brushing cylinder and prevent the ends 'of the blanket or fabric from catching on said cylinder.

VThe invention further consists in the construction and 'arrangement of the several parts which will be -more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: g

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a machine embodying the features of the invention;

lFig. l2 is 'a longitudinal vertical section through the` improved machine;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken through the essential parts embodying the features of the improvement, the 'frame or support being omitted; and

l Fig. 4 is an enlarged` elevation 'of a portion yof the spiral cast-off roll. rIfhe numeral 5 designates the frame of the machine having an ,upper horizontal top portion 6 including gir'ths '7. -t the front of the top portion lof the frame 'afeed table or 'other device -8 Vis mounted and this may be replaced if desired by the well known" form of feeding belt, it being only necessary to have means for regularly guiding the blanl:ets and fabrics to be treated to the-mechanism of the machine, and it will be u1`rderstood that any suitable meansy may be use-d for this purpose. In rear of the feed .table or analogous device 8 is a 'pair of feed rolls 9 'and .10 mounted in suitable bearings with the roll 9 superposed with relation to the roll 10, 'the roll 9 beingprefer'ably automatically movable or having a Vgravit'adting action relatively tothe roll 10, as' in similar feed roll constructions'. yThe rolls 9 and 10 are intergeared 'or respectively have meshing PATENT oFFlCE.

nnwann MCCREARY, oF ooHons, .NEW YORK., .Assionon To JOHN ivrconnany am)l p'inio-ns 11 and '1'2 at their ends, to rotate the ing meshing lgears 14 and 15a. .The bear? ings 13 will be 'duplicated on opposite sid-'es of the'vframe and therein a shaft 1`7is r'otatably mounted 'and carries a wire brushing or napping cylinder 18, as clearly shown by Figs. 2 end By adjusting the bearings 13, the yshaft 17 and cylinder 18 maybe shifted forwardly or rearwardly as desired for the purpose of treating blankets or `other fabrics of varying thicknesses. i A

Between the lower roll 10 andthe brushing or vnapping cylinder 18 a suitable pressure bar 19 is mounted and may be similar to that disclosed by Patent No. 1,400,446, issued to J. and EAJ. MoCrea'ry, December 13, 1921. This pressure bar is preferably curved and stands or is held in an operative position at a suitable distance inV advance of the brushing or napping cylinder 18. The

bar is of concavo-convex contour with the convex side 20 thereof facing the cylinder 18, the thicker portion of the bar being towards its lower edge and the thickness of the bar gradually diminishing towards its upper edge.

Below the feed rolls 9 and 10 and in advance of the brushing and napping cylinder 18 a guide roll 21 is mounted and is suitably operated from the remaining mechanism to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown by Fig. 2, or in a direction reverse to the rotation of the brushing and napping cylinder, which also has an arrow indicating the direction of rotation thereof applied tc the same. The guide roll 21 is covered with a suitable fabric 22 over which the blanket or fabric to be treated can easily pass, and the function thereof is to direct or guide the blanket or fabric treated around the brushing and napping cylinder, so that the latter itself may comb out the nap. The guide roll 21 is located very close to the lower portion of the brushing and napping cylinder 18 and at a distance below the pressure bar 19, to give the said cylinder wires engagement with a large portion of the blanket or fabric as compared to similar machines heretofore devised and as shown, for instance, by Patent No. 1,400,446, hereinbefore noted.

Directly beneath the shaft 17 of the brushing and napping cylinder 18 a spiral castoff roll 23 is mounted and consists of a shaft 24 extending through the frame and suitably operated from the remaining mechanism to rotate in the direction of the arrow as shown by F ig. 2. Extending outwardly from the shaft 24 are radial supports or arms 25 secured to hubs or collars 26 fixed to the shaft 24 at regular intervals and so disposed in angular relation ask to accommodate the arrangement of spiral blades 27 extending longitudinally and regularly around the cast-off roll, these blades being constructed of material suitable for the purpose and in the form of strips of suitable width. The edges of the blades 27 are primarily disposed in such relation to the lower portion of the brushing and napping cylinder 18 that they continually sweep the wire clothing or other combing and napping surface covering of the said cylinder and prevent the ends of the blankets or fabrics, which are successively treated by the said cylinder 18, from following the latter and catching on themselves.

Below the guide roll 21 and cast-off roll 23 and extending lengthwise through the frame towards the front end or adjacent to the front end of the feed table or device 8 is a return carrier 28, consisting of an endless belt of suitable construction trained c over front and rear rolls 29 and 30, re-

spectively having shafts 31 and 32 held in suitable bearings at opposite parts of the frame and driven in timed relation to the mechanism above. rIhe purpose of this carrier 28 is to receive the blanket or fabric after it has been subjected to treatment and convey the said blanket or fabric out through the front of the machine, where it may be readily reached by an operator.`

Incidentally and as a matter of convenience and advantage, the mechanism embodying the essential features hereinbefore specified is shown as provided with a hood 33 thereover, which encloses'the feedrolls 9 and 10 as well as the brushing and napping cylinder 18, the said hood having at the front 34 a feed opening 35, to expose the rolls 9 and 10. Around the rear end of the frame and over the bottom thereof is also shown a sheet metal wall o-r plate 36, which forms a partial enclosure, the front of the frame being left open for the projection of the return carrier 28, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. The hood 83 andenclosing wall or sheet 36 serve to confine any lint that 'may be thrown off of the blanket or fabric within the body of the machine. This hood and sheet wall structure isI not necessary to the practical operation of the essential features of the invention as hereinbefore described but, as above noted, are advantageous accessories.

The parts of the machine are started by suitable control mechanism and the blanket or fabric to be treated is placed on the table or other device 8 and pushed forward to, and engaged by, the rolls 9 and 10 and carried between the latter over the convex side 20 of the pressure bar 19 and brought into contact with the brushing and napping clothing of the cylinder 18, and then passed around the guide roll 21 and the free extremity thereof falls to and is engaged by the upper portion of the carrier or endless belt 28 and moved forwardly towards and out through the front end ofthe machine, where it may be readily reached and withdrawn from the machine. Should the end of the blanket or fabric cling to the clothing of the cylinder 18, it will be thrown off and forwardly by the blades 27 `of the castoff roll 23 and fall to the carrier or endless belt 28, as abovefspecied.

The improved machine will be found exceptionally advantageous in the brushing and napping of blankets or fabrics generally, and it will be understood that changes in the general construction and arrangement of the several parts may beadopted as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is: Y

1. In a blanket or fabric brushing and napping machine, the combination with` a brushing cylinder, feed rolls and a pressure bar between the feed rolls andv cylinder depending in advance of the cylinder, of a single guide roll set in close to the lower portion of the brushing cylinder below the pressure bar tomaintainA a considerable length of the blanket or fabric in engagement with the brushing cylinder, a cast-off roll with spiral blades in continual engagement with the lower portion of the brushing cylinder to prevent adherence of the blanket or fabric end with the cylinder, and a conveying means for transferring the treated fabric outwardly through the machine.

2. In a blanket or fabric brushing or napping machine, the combination with a brushing cylinder, rolls for feeding a blanket or fabric to the cylinder and a rigid pressure bar depending in advance of the cylinder and between the latter and the feeding rolls, of a single guide roll disposed below the feeding rolls and pressure bar and the front portion of the'brushing cylinder, the single guide roll being located mainly in rear of the said feeding rolls and pressure bar and close to the lower portion of the cylinder, the said single guide roll having the blanket or fabric solely engaging the rear and a part of the under portion thereof adjacent to the brushing cylinder to hold a relatively greater portion of the blanket or fabric between the said pressure bar and the rear portion of the said guide roll in close engagement with the front portion of the brushing cylinder to'operate on a greater length of the blanket or fabric, the conveying means having movement towards the front of the machine and disposed below the said single guide roll for receiving the treated blanket or fabric directly from the guide roll and transferring said blanket or fabric outwardly towards and through the front of the machine.

3. In a blanket or fabric brushing or napping machine, the combination with a brushing cylinder, a set of feed rolls and a rigid pressure bar interposed between the feed rolls and cylinder, of a single guide roll below the feed rolls and pressure bar and close to and in advance of the lower portion of the brushing cylinder to hold a considerable length of the blanket or fabric between the pressure bar and the vsaid guide roll in close engagement with the brushing cylinder and also for directing the treated blanket -or fabric downwardly below the said guide roll, a cast-off roll disposed directly below the brushing cylinder land having elongated spiral blades in continual engagement-with the brushing means of the cylinder to prevent the blanket or fabric from catching and being held on the cylinder, and

a conveying means below the guide and castoff rolls for receiving the treated blanket or fabric and transferring the latter out through the machine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. v i

EDWARD MCCREARY. 

